NBA Live 08: By the Numbers

Ratings for the top players by position--find out the most overrated and underrated players in the game.

"I'm not Michael Jordan and Greg Oden isn't Sam Bowie. There will never be another Michael Jordan. It's up to us to make our own names in the game." That's what Kevin Durant told me one night during a game of NBA Live 08. I asked him if by the Blazers passing on him in the draft, they'll be known as the team that passed on both Jordan and Durant.

As I asked, Durant hit a three-pointer in the game. It was the double crossover step back three he motion captured for EA in their Vancouver studio. "I wanted to make sure they got it right," he said.

Trust me, they did. Durant lights it up on the Live court just like he did back at Texas.

And while Durant denies any comparison to Jordan (although he used to run as the Bulls back in Live '95, even if he was scoring with Player 99), there's no denying the talent of the kid that plays like the perfect blend of McGrady and Garnett. It's a talent that has already seen him sign for big money with companies like Nike and EA Sports (Durant will be on the cover of March Madness 08).

Besides being a big-time gamer in his career, Durant is a big-time gamer when it comes to mashing buttons, citing The Godfather, Madden, and Scarface as his favorites. And when he saw himself in Live on the 360, it wasn't about ego; you could tell in talking to him, from the smile on his face, that this was a gamer who was living his dream by seeing himself in the game.

"Being on the cover of the game, the draft, seeing myself in Live, this whole thing is a whirlwind for me right now," Durant said as he passed himself the ball again in the game. "I try to run the offense, but whenever I see myself out there, I have to shoot."

And why not, especially considering that the man brought in to save Sonics basketball is also the highest rated rookie in the game (78), which is 3 points higher than Oden and Conley, and 5 points higher than Horford.

"I always give my best effort out there and it's reflected in the game," Durant told me with a nudge, pointing to the screen. "Look at that guy out there hustling. Wouldn't you want him on your team?"

Every time.

But I need more than one player running the floor. So after lighting it up with the rookie a few times in NBA Live 08, I broke down the numbers of all the best players in the league according to EA Sports.

The Top 20s

Centers

1. Tim Duncan: 91
2. Amare Stoudemire: 88
3. Shaquille O'Neal: 87
4. Yao Ming: 86
5. Ben Wallace: 78
6. Brad Miller: 76
7. Zydrunas Ilgauskas: 75
8. Marcus Camby: 75
9. Greg Oden: 75
10. Tyson Chandler: 75
11. Andrew Bogut: 75
12. Chris Kaman: 73
13. Nene: 73
14. Eddy Curry: 73
15. Alonzo Mourning: 73
16. Jamaal Magloire: 72
17. Andris Biedrins: 72
18. Mehmet Okur: 72
19. Samuel Dalembert: 72
20. Kurt Thomas: 71

Overrated/underrated: Duncan's skills might not be the flashy, in-your-face kind you want to highlight in a videogame, but damn, only a 91 for a man who just led his team to another title and is one of the best players of his generation? Another crazy number that jumps out at me is Biedrins and his 72 overall. I know he's still got a lot of work to do, but to say he's the same as Jamaal Magloire and only 1 point higher than Kurt Thomas is like a slap in the face to everything good that has ever come out of Latvia (Sandis Ozolins and Soviet protest songs rule!).

Baron's ratings jumped thanks to his amazing playoff run.

Ray-Ray!

Power Forwards

1. Kevin Garnett: 92
2. Dirk Nowitzki: 90
3. Elton Brand: 89
4. Shawn Marion: 88
5. Chris Bosh: 86
6. Jermaine O'Neal: 85
7. Pau Gasol: 85
8. Dwight Howard: 85
9. Rasheed Wallace: 84
10. Lamar Odom: 83
11. Carlos Boozer: 81
12. Antawn Jamison: 80
13. Emeka Okafor: 79
14. Zach Randolph: 78
15. Al Jefferson: 77
16. Charlie Villanueva: 76
17. Kenyon Martin: 76
18. Al Harrington: 75
19. Channing Frye: 75
20. Shareef Abdur-Rahim: 75

Overrated/underrated: How is Carlos Boozer the 11th best power forward in the NBA? Dude is an absolute beast down in the paint. Dirk at 90 must be feeling the sting of choking in the playoffs. Regular season Dirk is more like a 95.

Small Forwards

1. LeBron James: 96
2. Paul Pierce: 89
3. Carmelo Anthony: 86
4. Josh Howard: 85
5. Rashard Lewis: 84
6. Ron Artest: 84
7. Andre Iguodala: 84
8. Richard Jefferson: 82
9. Andrei Kirilenko: 82
10. Luol Deng: 80
11. Tayshaun Prince: 79
12. Gerald Wallace: 79
13. Ricky Davis: 79
14. Corey Maggette: 79
15. Josh Smith: 78
16. Kevin Durant: 78
17. Boris Diaw: 76
18. Andres Nocioni: 76
19. Peja Stojakovic: 76
20. Danny Granger: 76

Overrated/underrated: Scary thought to the rest of the league: Lebron is still getting better. I don't know how Ricky Davis deserves the same ranking as Prince, Wallace, and Maggette, not to mention a higher number than Durant and Josh Smith. Does Ricky have a cousin working on the game?

Shooting Guards

1. Kobe Bryant: 96
2. Dwyane Wade: 93
3. Tracy McGrady: 92
4. Vince Carter: 88
5. Ray Allen: 87
6. Manu Ginobili: 86
7. Jason Richardson: 85
8. Jason Terry: 85
9. Michael Redd: 85
10. Joe Johnson: 84
11. Rip Hamilton: 82
12. Ben Gordon: 80
13. Larry Hughes: 80
14. Caron Butler: 78
15. Steve Francis: 77
16. Leandro Barbosa: 77
17. Jerry Stackhouse: 76
18. Randy Foye: 76
19. Jamal Crawford: 75
20. Raja Bell: 75

Overrated/underrated: Joe Johnson should feel a bit slighted with his 84, and if you watched any basketball last year and feel that Larry Hughes should have a better rating than Barbosa or Randy Foye, you deserve to get smacked in the head by Rafer Alston.

Point Guards

1. Gilbert Arenas: 91
2. Steve Nash: 91
3. Allen Iverson: 91
4. Baron Davis: 88
5. Tony Parker: 87
6. Chris Paul: 87
7. Chauncey Billups: 86
8. Jason Kidd: 85
9. Deron Williams: 83
10. Mike Bibby: 83
11. Stephon Marbury: 83
12. Kirk Hinrich: 83
13. Jameer Nelson: 79
14. Devin Harris: 79
15. Raymond Felton: 77
16. Andre Miller: 77
17. Mike James: 76
18. TJ Ford: 76
19. Michael Conley: 75
20. Damon Stoudamire: 74

Overrated/underrated: When Gilbert signed to be on the cover, I guess he made sure to add the clause where he was the highest rated player at his position. Cover or not, putting him in the same class as Nash is a bit much. I also don't think Chris Paul deserves to be 4 points ahead of Deron Williams at this point. After watching Williams in the playoffs, I might even give him the nod over CP3 heading into the season.

The Truth hurts.

Melo Man Ace.

KG rises.